In modern times it would be difficult to think of anything that has benefitted the pipe smoking community more than the advent of the internet. Indeed, while there has been a pipe renaissance of sorts over the last five years or so, the number of pipe smokers and collectors remains a relatively tiny percentage of… Continue reading Cleanup and a New Hand Cut Ebonite Stem for a 1968 Dunhill LB
One of the perks of doing what I do here at DadsPipes is having the opportunity to work on some very high end artisan-grade pipes that I cannot afford to buy for my own rack and rotation. One example is this lovely Danish hand made S. Bang that was sent to me for repair. As… Continue reading A Hand Cut Eldritch Resin Stem for a Lovely S. Bang Pipe
I always enjoy working on family heirloom pipes, and this Dunhill Shell Briar Pot, passed down to the current steward from his father, certainly fits the bill. As you can see from this first series of images, the pipe was in need of some TLC when it arrived on the bench. Like many much loved… Continue reading A New Stem for a 1960’s Dunhill Shell Briar Pot
In a perfect world, a repair shop has access to every part it needs and can get them from suppliers quickly and easily. Enter COVID and the accompanying supply chain issues, and parts that once took about five days to arrive now takes up to 10 days, assuming they are actually available to order. Unfortunately… Continue reading A Square Peg for a Round Hole – An Exercise in Working With What You’ve Got
Second only to tenon replacement, fitting a new stem is probably the most common pipe repair, and for good reason. With a modicum of care, a briar stummel can last for decades or even centuries, but the stem is subjected to more than just heat from burning tobacco. It must also contend with tooth dents,… Continue reading A New Stem for a Hardcastle’s Deluxe Bulldog
Ask any pipe smoker or collector and they will tell you that pipes can be a lot more than simple smoking instruments. They can become conduits through which the pipe steward is connected to a person, place or philosophy that holds deeper meaning for them. Many of us have at least one pipe, stand or… Continue reading Rescuing an Heirloom Lion Head Figural Meerschaum
Cost is almost always a prime consideration when it comes to estate pipe repairs. As I and other pipe restorers have proven more than once, virtually every estate pipe is repairable if the will to do so exists; whether the repair is worth the cost is a very different question, and the answer is very… Continue reading Worth Repairing? Salvaging a Seriously Cracked Lorenzetti Titus
Working with translucent or transparent pipe stems can be a real test of patience and skill. As everything is (almost painfully) visible, there is no margin for error when drilling, shaping or slotting Perspex (aka clear acrylic). To complicate matters further, cleaning clear acrylic with alcohol can lead to the formation of cracks inside the… Continue reading The Trials of Perspex – A New Stem for a French C.G.T. Elite
The Bavarian style long pipe is an iconic and historical piece of pipe history, bringing to mind long evenings by the fire, perhaps with a good book. In North America, at least, the style tends to be an outlier of sorts - you just don't see people sitting at a park bench smoking a two-foot-long… Continue reading Repairing an Acrylic Mouthpiece on a Vauen Enzian 4 Bavarian-Style Pipe
An estate pipe can be a lovely and thoughtful gift for new and experienced pipe smokers alike, but sometimes estate pieces need a bit of TLC before they can be added to a pipe lover's rack and rotation. Such is the case with this Peterson's Kapruf, which, as you can see in this initial series… Continue reading Revitalizing a Well Used Peterson’s Kapruf 56 Chubby Bent Billiard
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